Independent PC candidates plod along

As one countdown finishes, another begins. Today marks three months to go until the elections for local Police and Crime Commissioners, which will take place on 15 November.

The majority of recent media coverage has focused on concerns that the election process may disadvantage independent candidates. This is a particularly potent issue because one of the main criticisms when the idea of Commissioners was suggested was that it would politicise the police service. The fact that the process may be skewed in favour of candidates from established political parties is likely to discourage ‘ordinary’ people from running and therefore it will fail to depoliticise the role.

The main problems highlighted are the cost of taking part and the lack of centralised support. The most recent issue is the news that there will not be a state-funded mailshot to all voters. Independent candidates say that this is “perverse, undemocratic and unjust” because candidates from established political parties have much larger budgets and can therefore afford to do more to promote themselves.

The Government’s proposed solution to the problem is to create a website with details of all candidates on it. However, the Electoral Commission has warned that this disadvantages the seven million people across the UK who do not have internet access. In addition, Policing Minister Nick Herbert has suggested that independent candidates can use social media and local PR activity to capture public attention.

If only it were that simple! Journalists at local newspapers and radio stations are likely to focus on big names that their readers and listeners will already know, which again suits candidates from established political parties. Just ask Siobhan Benita, the independent candidate who ran in the London Mayoral elections and complained that she was excluded from programmes during her campaign. In addition, only having information available on a website relies on voters being bothered to log on and search for it – far more effort than glancing at a pamphlet that falls through the letterbox.

If we are not careful, only a few candidates will run in the elections and the lack of public trust in the established political system will lead to voter apathy. Establishing Police and Crime Commissioners could be one of the biggest shake-ups of the policing sector we’ve seen in a long time. Candidates deserve exposure and a competitive fight, and the voters deserve a wider pool of people to vote from than the same old faces.

So, here are some basic tips for prospective independent candidates still willing to have a go:

- Act like a leader: in your dress and demeanour, and by demonstrating your experience of managing large budgets and big organisations.

- Demonstrate empathy: show people that you really understand local issues, and use facts and examples to add flavour to your speeches and interviews.

- Focus on a few issues: don’t try to be all things to all people, instead choose one or two key topics and hang your campaign on those issues.

- Play on your independence: make the lack of public trust in politics work in your favour, by emphasising that you are not part of the establishment and will be a break away from the past.

Three months is a long time in politics, so we shouldn’t count the independents out of the race quite yet.

Jo Nussbaum
Consultant
jo@linstockcommunications.com